Ageless Forever Anti-Aging News Blog

Testosterone Replacement Therapy

When you see the term “testosterone,” we typically associate it with masculinity and men. However, women generate testosterone too. So, what exactly is testosterone? Testosterone is a steroid hormone that plays a significant role in the male sperm production and produced in women’s ovaries in much smaller amounts. Rising levels of testosterone stimulates physical and chemical changes for boys and men such as increased muscle, pubic hair growth, deeper lengthened vocal chords, and increased sexual desire.

Testosterone production significantly spikes during puberty and starts to drop after age 30. Having optimal levels of the steroid hormone is essential from puberty throughout adulthood for general health, aids in preventing certain chronic diseases, and increases energy levels. As our levels of testosterone naturally decrease over time, rest assured there are ways to naturally boost it back up. Read more

Low T in Men and Women

Since women already produce very little testosterone, their levels drop even lower after reaching menopause, typically around the age of 45-50 when women’s menstrual cycles cease. Low levels of testosterone in women are commonly linked to the cause of headaches, anxiety, and decreased sexual drive. Men’s testosterone gradually decreases over time, usually after reaching their mid-thirties. Signs of low testosterone in men include depression, bone loss, fatigue, and erectile dysfunction. In addition to blood testing, you can take a Low T questionnaire to determine if your testosterone levels may be insufficient.

Ways to Boost Testosterone

Increasing T levels in your body can help increase muscle mass, improve health and sexual well-being for both men and women. Here are some ways to naturally boost your hormone levels to ensure optimal health.

1. Exercise

One of the most effective ways of boosting testosterone is physical activity. Studies have shown that people who exercise frequently have higher testosterone levels than people that exercise little to none at all. Resistance training, such as weight-lifting and high-intensity exercise are known to be the most testosterone-inducing forms of physical activity for short-term and long term benefits.

2. Consume Protein, Fats & Carbs

Your diet also has a major impact on your testosterone level. You can monitor your hormone levels by focusing on your long-term caloric intake and diet. Poor dieting or overeating may cause your testosterone levels to fluctuate. Maintaining a balanced diet including enough protein, carbs, and fats can assist in healthy hormone levels as well as help with fat loss. Plenty of protein helps build muscle mass, carbohydrates help supply energy for resistance training, and healthy fats help maximize testosterone production

3. Get more sunlight

You won’t find a better natural testosterone booster than the vitamin d from sunlight. The European Journal of Endocrinology conducted a study and found direct correlation that men deficient in vitamin d also had insufficient testosterone levels. Worried about getting too much sun? Once your body produces enough vitamin d from the sun, the ultraviolet rays will stop your body from overproducing. It is important to always wear sufficient sunscreen to help protect from sunburn and other harmful effects from overexposure of the sun’s rays. About 10-20 minutes of sun a day during spring and summer seasons and 2 hours a day in winter is recommended to give you the adequate vitamin to increase testosterone and reap other benefits.

4. Take supplements

The benefits of taking multivitamins are still up for debate, but taking specific vitamins and minerals may prove to be very helpful. Zinc, a mineral found in cells throughout the body supports the functionality of the body’s immune system, stimulates cell growth, injury healing, and helps break down carbohydrates. Taking zinc supplements have been known to raise testosterone. Other studies also suggest taking vitamin a, c, d, and e supplements to increase hormone production and sex drive, with zinc and vitamin d being the most beneficial.

5. Get enough rest

Getting high quality sleep also affects your testosterone. A long-term study found people who are sleep-deprived (typically sleeping for only 5 hours or less a night) also linked to a 15% decrease in testosterone levels. Normal testosterone production requires undisturbed, restful sleep also known as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Sleep disturbance can increase more stress over time, which can also cause low T. Although some people argue they are able to function on less sleep, research suggests about 7-10 hours of sleep a night is ideal for testosterone and long-term health.

Healthy testosterone levels are fundamental for both men and women to manage a healthier lifestyle. Not only does optimal testosterone levels help with sexual function, it promotes muscle growth, cognitive function and decreases chances of health risks and obesity. As we grow older and our hormone levels begin to decrease, it is wise to take charge in finding the best natural ways to boost it back up to continue to enjoy a healthy life. At Ageless Forever, we specialize in Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) in order to examine and monitor T levels as well as other important hormones for both men and women to help slow and reverse the effects of aging. We believe in providing you the most accurate and up-to-date information and tools required to live a life full of vigor, health, and happiness.

On the surface, testosterone therapy is a controversial treatment because previous studies investigating the effects of testosterone therapy have been conflicting, with some studies showing supposed harm and others showing significant benefit.

Here I summarize the results of a new study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology on May 7 2016, which addressed some shortcomings in previous studies by analyzing effects based on duration of testosterone treatment.[1]

Historically testosterone therapy was only indicated in men with pituitary tumors and testicular dysfunction. Dr. Morgentaler pioneered the field when he started to treat men – who did not have any underlying pituitary tumors and testicular dysfunction - with Low-T with testosterone therapy. His patients reported improved erections, libido, orgasm, as well as increased energy, mood, cognition and wellbeing.

This use of testosterone therapy in otherwise healthy men defied standard medical practice in the 1990s...

The prevalence of testosterone deficiency is higher in men with type 2 diabetes than among non-diabetic men [1-6], and testosterone deficiency is associated with increased mortality.[7, 8]

Type 2 diabetic men often have dyslipidemia [9] and erectile dysfunction [10, 11], and hence statins and phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors (PDE5I) are widely used in these men.

Here I summarize the results of a study published in International Journal of Clinical Practice, which investigated the impact of testosterone levels and testosterone therapy on mortality, and assessed if this was affected by concomitant statin and PDE5I use.[12]

The so called double-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) is accepted by medicine as the gold standard objective scientific methodology, and provides the highest strength of evidence for the effectiveness of a treatment.[1-4]

Recent clinical practice guidelines state that testosterone therapy is safe if treatment and monitoring are appropriately executed [7-9], and the totality of available evidence to date does not support alleged concerns regarding risk of cardiovascular disease [10] and prostate cancer.[11] Despite this, opponents state that the clinical benefits and potential long-term risks of testosterone therapy have not been adequately assessed in large RCTs, and that therefore a general policy of testosterone replacement in all older men with age-related decline in testosterone levels is not justified.[12]

To address the lack of large RCTs on testosterone therapy, the US National Institute of Health has funded The Testosterone Trials, which is a coordinated set of 7 large double-blind RCTs. Here I report the first results from The Testosterone Trials, which were released February 18, 2016.[13]

Testosterone, historically believed to be important only for male reproduction and sexuality, has over the past decades transformed from niche hormone to multi-system player.[1] A rapidly accumulating body of research is showing that testosterone is an important metabolic hormone with marked effects on energy metabolism and body composition.[2]

In USA, 36% of the adult population are obese (BMI >30), (affecting a similar proportion of men and women) [3], and obesity prevalence is escalating worldwide. According to the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) report “Overcoming obesity: An initial economic analysis”, obesity is “one of the top three preventable social burdens (along with smoking and violence/war/terrorism) generated by human beings” imposing an estimated annual global direct economic burden amounting to 2 trillion USD.[4]

Obesity treatments with comprehensive lifestyle modification and/or drugs are notorious for their poor long-term efficacy and inability to achieve long-term weight loss maintenance.[5-9] Even with continued lifestyle treatment, significant weight regain occurs.[7, 9, 10] And obesity drugs have side effects which limit their long-term and widespread use. [11, 12] Therefore, new interventions are urgently needed to combat this alarming preventable threat to society.

Here I summarize a recent study that investigated the effects of long-term testosterone treatment – up to 8 years - on weight loss and waist size in 411 testosterone deficient men with obesity classes I-III.[13]

In 2010, the Endocrine Society published a Clinical Practice Guideline “Testosterone Therapy in Adult Men With Androgen Deficiency Syndromes”, which addressed important issues regarding the diagnosis and treatment of male hypogonadism.[1]

Since publication of this Guideline, several high-quality trials have been conducted, warranting an update of the 2010 recommendations in several areas, especially that of testosterone therapy in men with the metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, sexual dysfunction, and frailty.

In addition, many of the previously stated contraindications to testosterone therapy – including severe lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) - have been reexamined in recent trials.

Here I summarize the results of a recent systematic analysis of the latest high-quality studies, which call for some important updates of the 2010 Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guidelines for Male Hypogonadism.[2]

Clinical practice guidelines rely heavily on results from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which is the gold standard for medical research. RCTs produce evidence considered to be of the highest quality. Because RCTs are resource intensive and costly, they are typically of relatively short duration, commonly lasting for around one year.

Currently there are only a few placebo-controlled RCTs investigating the effects of testosterone therapy for a duration of 3 years [1-4], and medical societies have long been urging for more long-term trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of testosterone therapy.[5-7]

On August 11th 2015 a notable 3-year long RCT was published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), which attracted a lot of attention.[8] While interpreted by many as showing that testosterone therapy does not confer any benefits on atherosclerosis, sexual function and quality of life, a closer look at the data actually shows two important positive results…

The effect of testosterone replacement therapy on cardiovascular outcomes such as heart attack and stroke are controversial and have been generating heated discussions among clinicians as well as researchers. This, coupled with biased media sensationalism blowing up the supposed “dangers” of testosterone therapy has created great confusion among suffering men, who could gain tremendous health benefits from testosterone therapy.[1]

Here I report the results of a new study that examined the relationship between normalization of total testosterone levels with testosterone therapy and cardiovascular events as well as all-cause mortality, in patients without a previous history of heart attack and stroke.[2] This notable study was published in the European Heart Journal on August 6th, 2015.

Due to lack of consistent clear-cut guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of testosterone deficiency, there is a lot of confusion among both health professionals and suffering men. The multiple different testosterone preparations available further add to the complexity of testosterone treatment.

This article presents the intriguing results from a notable study that analyzed effects of testosterone therapy with seven different testosterone preparations in symptomatic men who had previously been denied treatment because of “normal” baseline testosterone levels.[1]

The results are quite provocative and highlight several important practical issues relating to diagnosis and treatment of hypogonadism…

Venous thromboembolism is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep inside a part of the body; it mainly affects the large veins in the lower leg and thigh.

Blood clot formation (venous thromboembolism) has been suggested to be one main risk with testosterone replacement therapy. In 2014, both the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) [1] and Health Canada [2] implemented a requirement for manufacturers to add a warning about the potential risks of venous thromboembolism and deep vein thrombosis to the label of all testosterone products.

However, until recently there were no comparative studies examining an association between testosterone replacement therapy and venous thromboembolism. Here we report the results of a recent case-control study - published July 20th 2015 - that specifically examined the risk of venous thromboembolism associated with testosterone therapy in middle-aged and older men.[3]